Tips and Tricks for Your Next Roadtrip

by

Madison Tandy

-

June 29, 2017

Have you ever thought about doing a cross-country road trip?

Me neither- until this past May when I had to find a way to make the trek from California to Georgia for the summer. It was a long journey, but with a few tips and tricks, it was one of the most fun trips I’ve ever taken! I got to see Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Dallas, and many other locations in states we passed through.

Here are some tips for your cross-country road trip:

Make a reading listYou’re going to be in the car for a long time. It’s time to pick up those books you’ve been meaning to read for months, but haven’t had the chance to yet. On my three day road trip, I started and finished Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I was so into it that I didn’t realize when we were crossing borders from one state to the next! It definitely helped me keep my mind off being in the car when we were driving.

Take lots of picturesMy mom and I collected over 250 pictures from our roadtrip. (Tourist move!) We took pictures at every place we stopped. During the trip, my phone ran out of storage when I was trying to take more photos. Luckily I had my Picture Keeper Connect with me in order to back up my photos off of my phone and clear up storage! I didn’t even need wifi. I did it all in the car! Then I was able to take more photos at our next stop.

My mom posted a picture on Instagram for every place we stopped. She kept asking me to send her pictures from my phone, so we both downloaded the Share Your Photos App so that we could see all of our pictures without having to ask every time we wanted one!

Make a schedule to ensure you hit your destination spotsIt was a little difficult to know where to stop each night to catch some zzz’s. We made sure to leave early enough each morning to hit the cool spots we wanted to see! We could then stop at night when we were close to a safe city to spend the night in. Leaving at 6 am each morning gave us full days and we were able to explore places like the Grand Canyon.

Keep cash on handStretch breaks are a must, and you’re going to want to stop for snacks along the way! You may also find a souvenir shop or two. A lot of cool hole-in-the-wall places only accept cash, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to get that perfect souvenir. I stopped at a fruit shack on the side of the road and bought fresh strawberries on our way out of California- it was the perfect break from unhealthy gas station food!

Be safeYou will be crossing a lot of unfamiliar territory on your trip. It’s smart to roadtrip with at least one or two other people. You never know what you may run into, and a lot of people like to take advantage of travelers! On my trip, I always went into gas station restrooms with my road trip partner, especially when it was dark outside. Better safe than sorry!

Eat like a localYou may be tempted to drive through the nearest McDonald’s or Wendy’s, but I suggest trying something new! Ask the locals what they recommend- they could lead you somewhere really tasty. If you’re in a special place with a chain that doesn’t exist in other states, take advantage! I stopped at In-N-Out on my way out of the West for one last burger and fries!

Make a playlistHaving your favorite music in the background will help calm your car boredom. Make sure to have playlists ready on your favorite outlets such as Spotify, Pandora, or even a CD! You and your roadtrip partners can take turns choosing the music.